With a population of over 1.4 billion and a passion for cricket, India has long been one of the world’s largest markets for sports betting, much of it through offshore websites and apps.
That changed in 2025, when India passed a national law banning online betting and real-money gaming. On this page we explain what the law says, what forms of betting remain legal in India, what you should know about offshore betting sites, and where you can still legally bet on horse racing.
Is Sports Betting Legal in India?
No. Sports betting is not legal in India, either online or offline, with the exception of betting on horse racing at licensed racecourses.
The Online Gaming Act, 2025
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 received Presidential assent on August 22, 2025 and came into force on May 1, 2026, along with its implementing rules. The Act bans all online money games, which includes online sports betting, online casino games, and real-money fantasy sports.
The Act targets the entire online betting ecosystem:
- Offering online money games to people in India is prohibited.
- Advertising and promoting them is prohibited, with penalties of up to two years in prison and fines of up to ?50 lakh.
- Processing payments for them is prohibited, so banks and payment providers cannot facilitate deposits or withdrawals.
- Offshore sites are included. The law applies to online money games offered in India regardless of where the operator is based, and the government can block access to them.
The Act’s penalties are aimed at operators, advertisers and payment facilitators rather than individual players.
Court Challenges
The Act’s constitutional validity is being challenged before the Supreme Court of India, which took over all challenges from the High Courts in September 2025. No interim stay has been granted, so the ban remains fully in effect while the case is pending. In a separate case decided on May 27, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld Tamil Nadu’s ban on online real-money games.
Offline Betting
Running a bookmaking operation has long been illegal in India under the Public Gambling Act of 1867 and state gambling laws. Any local bookie taking bets on cricket or other sports is operating illegally.
What Betting Is Still Legal in India?
A few forms of gambling remain legal in India, mostly in person and depending on the state:
- Horse racing. In 1996 the Supreme Court of India held that betting on horse racing is a game of skill, which allows betting at licensed racecourses. See the list of major racecourses below.
- State lotteries. Several states run their own lotteries.
- Casinos. Land-based casinos operate legally in a small number of places, most notably Goa and Sikkim.
What About Offshore Betting Sites?
Offshore betting sites continue to target Indian users, but the 2025 Act makes offering these services in India illegal, and the government regularly blocks betting websites and apps. Because payment providers are barred from processing these transactions, deposits and withdrawals often run through unofficial channels. Anyone who uses an offshore site has no Indian regulator to turn to if there is a problem with a bet or a withdrawal.
Major Racecourses in India
Horse racing is the one form of sports betting that remains legal in India, with bets placed in person at the racecourse. Here are the country’s major racing centres.
- Mumbai: Mahalaxmi Racecourse, run by the Royal Western India Turf Club, races from November to May and hosts the Indian Derby each February. The club also races in Pune from July to November.
- Kolkata: The Royal Calcutta Turf Club, one of the oldest racecourses in India, holds a Monsoon meet from July to October and a Winter meet from November to March.
- Bengaluru: The Bangalore Turf Club traditionally races in summer and winter seasons, though its city-centre site has been the subject of a long-running legal dispute, so check the club’s current calendar.
- Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Race Club holds a Monsoon season from July to October and a Winter season from November to February.
- Delhi: The Delhi Race Club in New Delhi races once or twice a week for most of the year.
- Chennai: Racing has ended at the historic Guindy Race Course after the Tamil Nadu government took back the land in 2024 for an eco park. The Madras Race Club continues to race at Ooty from April to June.